


Pavel's not so great Week

by anassa_anemou



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pavel knows even less, Romulans attack, Slow Build, Spock has no idea what he is doing, Uhura tries to help
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-10
Updated: 2014-04-18
Packaged: 2018-01-18 20:38:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1442065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anassa_anemou/pseuds/anassa_anemou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pavel never thought so many things could happen in a single week; and he had so really bad weeks, like those ones when almost everyone died or a mad man tried to destroy earth. The surprising thing? Even if  the Commander confuses him, he wouldn't trade it for the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [musikurt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/musikurt/gifts).



Pavel watches quietly the way the Commander moves; he been assigned by the Captain to update the Enterprise systems, and the Commander chose Pavel to accompany him. Sometimes, during this long week, he thought that the reason he was chosen was simply because he could stay quiet, silent when other would try to chat. When they are in this pod, working side by side, Spock never looks his way, not even when it’s Pavel’s turn to input the data.

He, on the other hand, stares bluntly to every inch of the Commander’s body, trying to figure out how he feels and what is on his mind. When he was in the Academy he had a teacher that said when a problem seems to require a complex solution, it could be our heads over complicating things, which made Pavel many times start considering everything that was too stupid to be right, until he found the solution. As he stares at the agile hands, he imagines all those stupid things that aren’t in the Commander’s head.

He is not thinking of how smart Pavel is, he could certainly be thinking about how quiet he is, or how he creepily stares at his officer, when he should be resting his mind after a difficult scanning of data. Spock usually closes his eyes; his breathing slows and reaches a pattern, until he slips into a meditation state very close to a deep slumber. If he could do that, close his eyes and not think, Pavel would.

It would mean that he wouldn’t think about Earth just beneath them, or of how many people the Enterprise has lost in the little time she got in space. He would leave the guilty of losing Spock’s mother when he tried to beam her up and he wouldn’t see the images over and over of the Captain dying and the Commander face. He never should have watched the feed, but he couldn’t help as he listened to the murmurs between the ship crew. 

“I finished uploading today’s changes, Ensign Chekov, you are dismissed.” Pavel looks up, nodding carefully as he un-logs from the system and starts climbing the stairs to the next level.

“Nine hundred hours tomorrow, Commander?” Pavel listens the affirmation sound; smiling as he sees neither the frown in Spock’s face nor hears a reply pointing another human quirkiness. 

They walk companionably to the mess hall, everyday Spock leaves him at the door, nodding to him, before leaving to his room. Since they started the repairs on the ship, a job that all the crew had their hands on, Spock had been avoiding any interaction that wasn’t strictly professional and Pavel had been worried.

Commander Spock had always been reserved, making brief appearances in the mess hall per the Captain’s request or when Uhura had made sure he would be meeting her there. Sulu told him about the chess nights the Commander attended with the Captain and Dr. McCoy and the times he would expend with Sulu at the botany labs, taking care of the Vulcan species his father send for him from the colony.

The thing, that disturbed Pavel, was that Spock would sometimes join him or request his presence when he worked in a particularly hard problem, one that involved engineering. Because of that Pavel would get his head full, wondering why he was the one that worked the most with Spock, even more than Scotty, who clearly was the best in his field. He knew Spock had a normal relationship with Scotty, he regarded the man like almost any other crewman on board: cold professionalism and smidgen of amusement. So he asked why the Commander would call him and after a slight confused expression, the Vulcan expressed succinctly that Pavel worked well and silently.

When they were together, Pavel felt at easy, even if his head didn’t stop with the data rolling at his subconscious level, or the abundance of questions that rolled in his mind. That disturbed him, how could you feel comfortable with someone that didn’t seem to see you, that didn’t acknowledge your presence, that didn’t spoke to you more than a few words.

“If you don’t mind, I would like to share a table with you, Ensign.” Spock abruptly stopped, making Pavel curse under his breath as he tumbled in the mess door’s direction.

“Of, of course, zhir.” Pavel knew his face was probably red with embarrassment, specially when the Commander was holding his elbow to steady him. 

He chose a table near the wall, far from the stars zooming the translucent panel, a place the gathered many people and Pavel knew the Commander didn’t like. As he waited for Spock to join him with his food, he looked around, noting that there wasn’t anyone he usually spoke nearby, which meant they probably spend more time uploading data than the usual. 

When Spock sat, he moved to one of the food replicators, choosing a cheeseburger Sulu request to be programmed. When his fried learned he usually requested Russian dishes, he had taken upon himself to introduce more American foods in his diet. Pavel really hadn’t liked of any sandwich, until Sulu created a special cheeseburger, full of spices and a cheese that tasted like Andorian cheese. After that, Pavel got it at least once a week.

“Did Lieutenant Sulu requested another recipe to be included in the replicator?” One more time Pavel startled at the question, not knowing how to take this chatter version of Spock.

“Hikaru zhinks Scotty will program new recopies soon.” Pavel replies shakily, before biting at the sandwich. The bite is huge, stuff his mouth, as he chews, he sighs relieved with them both eating quietly for a few moments.

“Lieutenant Uhura told me three years, seven months and twenty point six months ago that humans usually like to share a meal as a proof of their affection and desire to enter a romantic relationship. Yesterday she reminded me again that we no longer shared any sort of commitment and therefore I was free to pursue any form of engagement I so wished.” The words are all experimental, as if Spock wasn’t sure he wishes to say them to Pavel and he continues to eat, using the food as shield. “When you asked me why I chose you instead of Lieutenant Commander Scott for many of my duties as Science Officer, I omitted three reasons of why I preferred your company.”

Spock has a green tint in his cheeks that Pavel never saw, except maybe after near death experiences or when he was aggravated by Dr. McCoy’s provocations. He stares until he realizes something, Spock doesn’t give him a special friend’s treatment, he. Pavel stops his thought process, and waits, if he is right, this is certainly mind blowing. 

“The three reasons are: I still felt my alliances towards Lieutenant Uhura very clear in my mind and therefore couldn’t see I no longer felt any romantic attachment to her; the time we spend uploading the data was very comforting and Nyota believes I was compartmentalizing as to not make stressful a chore that was quite amendable; and for last I find your complexion to be very aesthetically pleasing and if it is agreeable to you, would like to enter a terrain romantic relationship for the duration we both see feat.”

“Zhir, I, don’t know what to zhink.” Pavel continue to stare, lost at how to proceed. 

“You may refuse my proposal, Ensign. I assure you, there will be no retaliation and if you prefer I request the Captain reallocate you efforts on the ship’s mending to another sector. ” 

“Zhir, no, I enjoy working with you.” Pavel’s heart was milling in chest, what was happening?

“There you are, Spock. You are late for our chess game, Bones is already cursing, thinking you got hurt on your shift and he will be called any moment to rescue you from a new disease the space had unleashed on the ship.” The Captains appearance cut’s abruptly their conversation and Pavel is left alone with his cold cheeseburger willing Spock to get back and explain.

When he is sure no one is coming back and that his head is too confused to eat, he gets up and goes to his room; maybe if he sleeps things will be better, clearer. Hikaru is resting in his bed, listening to a song Pavel doesn’t know, and since he really doesn’t want to talk to his friend, he tiptoes to his bed and lies onto his side: long ago they agreed, if one of them had their back turned to the other’s bed, it was a clear signal of “fuck off”. In times like this, Pavel loves that he has a friend that understands his needs for solitary silence.


	2. Chapter 2

Three days later Pavel finds himself squished between Uhura and Christine, both of them asking how he is feeling and why didn’t he talk to Hikaru or the Captain about Spock’s crass advances on him. Women are very confusing for him, especially when they speak together non-stop and expect him to understand their comforting sounds and how they touch him. 

Pavel doesn’t like touching all the time, once or twice he would cuddle with Hikaru when he nightmares and he liked how the Captain or Dr. McCoy comforted him after a difficult mission with rough shoves or pats. He doesn’t have anything against women; he liked the pretty girls at the Academy that would sometimes try to kiss him because he was cute. He also liked a lot when he had sex, sex with girls was all soft and squish, with him taking charge most of the time, except maybe Gaila, that liked to be on top, but it was good.

“Ladies, ladies, I’m well. Zhe Commander just asked me zomething, nothing to worry about. Zhe Captain gave me a morning off to talk with zhe Commander.” Pavel tries to move away from them, he barely ate with their jostling. 

“Pavel, just.” Uhura stops and sighs, before moving to the side to let him get up. “Spock isn’t good with this; he is getting better at understanding humans need something different from Vulcans, even if logically he get’s that.” She gets up and brings Christine with her, both of them smiling softly at him, as not to scare a kitten. “I know you paid attention to him, and that you been in deep thought about what it meant all of the time you were working together; so maybe, when you go talk to him, think he just didn’t know how to talk to you and that’s something you need to think before deciding anything? ”

“It looks like you want me to take his offer and not take his offer, Uhura.” Pavel whines a bit, but he thinks he deserves it. They did ruin his supper and cuddled him without him asking.

“I just want you too happy, both of you.” She leaves quietly, but her last words keep sounding in Pavel’s ears.

This situation is getting weirder and weirder and Pavel doesn’t want to talk about it with no one else, especially not the Captain, even if he is Spock best friend and the other person he spends the most with, besides Pavel. When he finally calms himself to go talk to Spock, he is hailed to the bridge; wasn’t a better time for Romulans to attack?

This is definitely not Pavel’s best week.

***

One day later, he still being kept by the Doctor; sometimes he agrees with the Captain, Doctor McCoy really has fun in keeping people grumbling in his cot. Pavel is fine, he looks and feels fine, so he should be able to get to his room and rest, but the Doctor wants to keep him overnight, to be sure he will still be ok when he is done with all the tests. Pavel is just bored, because he is not allowed to read, or talk or eat much and the sickbay is all empty. 

“Doctor, can I watch something? I…”

“Suck it up, kid,. In two hours you’ll be asleep and tomorrow morning you will be free to do whatever you want. ” The Doctor turns around, fiddling with a pad, frowning when the door to the sickbay swishes open. 

“Doctor.” Spock says quietly and approaches Pavel’s bed, his eyes roaming dark. “Ensign Chekov.” Pavel sees Doctor McCoy sighing and opening his mouth to speak, when the Captain arrives and pulls him to the side.

It’s funny how the Doctor get’s flustered and follows the Captain a bit lost, looking back at Pavel and Spock, growling and yet his cheeks looks flushed. He forgets sometimes that Doctor McCoy and the Captain are friends, good friends that roomed together at the Academy and that perhaps there is more to it, than just friendship.

Spock nods to the chair beside his bed and Pavel bobbles his head to say yes. The continue in silence, until Spock turns to finally face him and Pavel breath hitches, now that he knows the intensity is on purpose, he imagines himself trying to smack his own head: not that he thinks Spock will ever be easy to read, but this isn’t “I like working with you”.

“Are you feeling well, Ensign?” Spock hands are folded in his lap, a pad rests beneath them, carefully nestled.

“Yes, Zhir. I’m just bored, but zhi Doctor wants me to stay her until tomorrow, without reading or working and…”

“Would you like me to read to you?” Pavel looks to the pad again and nods, afraid Spock will take the offer back, but the Commander only nods and starts reading. _“Before sea was, and the lands, and the sky that hangs over all, the face of Nature showed alike in her whole round, which state have man called chaos.”_

Pavel doesn’t recognize the piece, but the cadence of it it’s soothing somehow. Spock keeps his eyes in the pad, and it’s a chance to look at him, see the light and sparse blinking, and the way the pitch black hair shines with the white light from above. His face doesn’t move, there isn’t any twitch in the cheeks or a pulling of the mouth beyond the clear articulation of each word and Pavel smiles quietly against the blanket that cover his chin.

 _“No sun as yet shone forth upon the world, nor did the earth hang poised by her own weight in the circumambient air, nor the ocean stretched her arms along the far reaches of the lands.”_ Spock stops for a second and looks at Pavel, before he nods and goes back to his read, Pavel then realizes the small tint of green in his cheekbones, so small he could have missed, if he wasn’t paying so much attention to the stilled face.

Spock continues to read, even when Pavel settles back in bed, snuggling in his blanket and his eyes start to close for more seconds than they stay open; the voice is lulling and Pavel almost wishes he could stay awake, so he can enjoy for more time the treat in his hands.

He must sleep at some point, because he definitely feels a hot body by his side, a hand softly teasing his hair, but the voice doesn’t stop and Pavel slips under the comfort he feels. In the morning, when he wakes up, Doctor McCoy sends him to his room, having settled with the Captain his return to the next shift, and Spock is nowhere to be seem.

Pavel follows quietly to his room, intending a bath and some breakfast, but his head doesn’t stop spinning with the possibilities. He does eventually does what he planned, but neither the sonic shower, nor the hot food make him relax and he goes back to work feeling very tense.


	3. Chapter 3

Things get worse after the Romulan attack. There is a tribble infestation when their cages in the Scientific Division somehow get unlocked, the little fuzzy pets eating anything in sight. Then there is a pollen when they land for a negotiation, which makes a few of the crew members enter a coma, dreaming of what looked like past lives, but actually making the brain overload with sceneries.

Chekov isn’t affected, but half of the senior crew is, Uhura falls right in the bridge, scaring almost to death, than it’s the Captain in Mess Hall and Spock right before they are meant to go up on the pad and get transported back into the planet to ask for help. Sulu takes the comm and has to deal with pirates while Chekov and the Doctor try to pry any information from the elders landside.

When they finally realize the pollen, once inside a host, works like a Terran bacteria, Chekov has to use all of his energy to pilot the Enterprise out of danger, for almost eighteen hours straight trough a system that is full of black holes and meteors that are attract by the ship’s body. 

Pavel sleeps like the death, leaving to the Gama shift crew to handle the clean up and supervising of the ship repairs. He wakes up, twenty hours later with a weird flu that almost reminds him of the first symptoms of the pollen, but after exams Doctor McCoy only recommends fluids and a hypospray to cut the infection. 

The thing always makes him woozy, which means more sleeping time in the sickbay and more of him dreaming about hot bodies in his bed, to wake alone and confused to a very growly Doctor because the Captain managed to suffer an accident in Engineering. All in all, Pavel is really ready for the damn week to be over, so he can take a few days off planetside, without worrying about anything. 

He feels guilty, especially when he spent some many hours in sickbay lately, but he really needs time off or his dreams and the stress will get him killed. And it’s not like he can talk about it with Hikaru, because since the pollen thing they had switch shifts, alternating in the bridge and therefore sleeping when the other worked. 

Uhura and Christine are not options, because they will coo over him and that’s bizarre, who coos to sexy dreams? Not him, for sure. Adding to his frustration, Spock is nowhere to be seem, having too switched his shifts to accommodate the Captains injuries. They never managed to talk and if in less than forty eight hours he will be beaming down to Ageris III, they will probably won’t have time until he gets back.

Pavel tried to haul him, sending messages for them to meet and even trying to meet the Commander after his shift, but the few minutes he could spare, before he lost the battle to sleep, Spock was dutifully working on something secret at the Science Division or in shift, avoiding Pavel at all cost.

That night in bed, when he feels the phantom body against his side, Pavel wonders if he should ask the Captain for some help; he doesn’t want to, but maybe they can come up with something. The Captain offered him, more than once, time to talk and counsels on his love life and before Pavel had brushed him off, saying he could well find fuck buddies easily enough, but now? Well, now, he is kind of desperate and he can’t think in nobody else for the job. 

Ok, he thinks, tomorrow he will ask for the Captain advice.

***

“So you want my help, Pavel.” The Captain grins and Pavel almost turns back and runs, but he stays quiet, only nodding. “You see, sometimes, when I’m feeling generous, I can abuse of my duties of Captain and send an officer into an unscheduled leave.” Jim mentions it easily and Pavel groans a bit, because his tone means he wants something in return.  
“What can I do, Keptein?” He knows his own face is annoyed, but that only makes the Captain laugh.

“Bones locked all the good liquor, under medical code and I really, really fancy a drink now.” Jim wriggles his eyebrows and points to the cabinet above Pavel’s head.

“Fine, but if the Doctor come to punish, I’ll say the Keptein bullied me.” Pavel isn’t proud of his stumping, but he doesn’t care.

Overruling the Doctor isn’t easy, but he has a few passwords that worked in the pass and that can attack the system and reboot it to a new chosen password: JimIsAnAss. Scotty and him have been working with breach security data for two months now and since Pavel’s memory is very good, Scotty reads him the passwords, before deleting them and updating the controls. He knows over three hundred old passwords and four hundred pins, all of them used in the span of two weeks prior, by several crewmembers. While the job is sometimes tedious, he likes when they discover the vulnerabilities and fix things.

“Here, now you.” Pavel puts a hand in his waist after delivering the bottle, pouting slightly when the Captain ignores him in favor of smelling the bourbon. 

“Computer, put Commander Spock on shore leave and lock our communication, unless we are in an emergency.” The computer replies and the Jim says his code, effectively locking the communications channels and the connection between his quarters and the Commanders. “Now, shoo, I want to enjoy my drink alone. Go talk to Spock, ask him to go down with you to search for something in the desert, it will make a beautifully date.”

Pavel snorts, but leaves, he did get something major and if the ship gossip is anything to buy, he really doesn’t want to see what the Captain does when he is alone and slightly tipsy. When he turns to go press the button next door, it opens, reviling a frowning Spock holding his pad in hand.

“The Keptein is having time alone.” Pavel blurts and Spock startles for a second before recomposing his face. 

“I won’t disturb him them.” Spock nods and turns to enter his room, but Pavel holds his sleeve, just above the elbow, holding him in place.

“Would you like to share a room planetside, Zhir? I heard you can request tracking equipment to sleep in the desert.” Pavel flushes when he receives Spock look, but he doesn’t bulge.

“Where you aware the Captain assigned me shore leave three point seven minutes ago?” Pavel nods, but doesn’t add anything, hoping Spock won’t ask more questions about it. “Very well, if you concede me twenty point eight minutes, I’ll pack the necessary and make the necessary arrangements for a camping in Ageris III.”

Pavel nods enthusiastically and thinks he needs to find his words or Spock will think he is demented. He murmurs a “see you” and skips to his room, he has a few minutes to grab his things and meet Spook to beam and he has no idea if he has any clothes that are appropriate to the desert weather.

He smiles when he gets a message to only pack any personal objects he might wish to take, because the rest is already waiting for them at the transportation room and he thinks, thank god his hellish week is over, now he can finally, finally have some good days.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this was a least a little tiny bit good for you. I kind of struggled a bit and end up writing in the fandom we didn't even match, because Pavel whacked me in the head and demanded to be listened. 
> 
> I didn't write porn and saw you write a lot of nc-17, but I would love to continue writing in this verse; so just let me know anything you would like to see and I'll be glad to get it out. Somehow Spock looked down on me when I tried to make him jump in bed with Pasha. *very scary Vulcan*


End file.
